黑洞社区

Malcom McGowan, the managing partner of Sheppard Robson, has acknowledged that the architect is 鈥渃oming late to the party鈥� in the Middle East with its decision, announced last week, to open its first international office there.

However, in a interview with 黑洞社区 he said this would allow the firm to learn from the mistakes of other British firms who have been working with Middle Eastern clients with payment problems.

He emphasised that the firm was being cautious in its first foray outside the UK and said that it was 鈥渘ot going to set up offices all over the place鈥�.

鈥淲e narrowed it down to Qatar and Abu Dhabi, but went for Abu Dhabi because it鈥檚 got a lot of oil and a comprehensive masterplan,鈥� he said.

McGowan said there were no specific targets for staff or turnover but the firm was 鈥渘ot looking to create a large office鈥�.

He denied that the move was a response to a tough market in the UK and said that the workload of the London office was growing and Manchester was stable, however Glasgow is suffering from 鈥渄ifficult trading鈥�.

He added that many buildings constructed during the boom in the UAE have proved visually impressive yet 鈥渉opeless鈥� at functioning in practice.

鈥淎 lot of the buildings out there are iconic, but they are hopeless at actually working,鈥� he said.

He said this was down to the speed of the construction boom in the UAE and relatively inexperienced clients, but that the market was now 鈥渕aturing鈥�.

McGowan said that the practice would work across all major sectors.